Chael Sonnen vs. Bryan Baker
The fight was Bryan Baker's first loss. The Fight The first round began and they touched gloves. Sonnen shot for a double and got a nice slam beautifully to side control. Sonnen kneed the body three times. Four thirty-five with four more. Another knee. Another knee. Another. Four fifteen. Sonnen stepped over into mount. Four minutes. Sonnen landed a pair of rights in under as Baker turtled up. Three thirty. Sonnen worked a D'arce. Baker stood kneeing the body. Sonnen broke away replying with two knees. Sonnen landed a straight left to the bdoy with three fifteen and kneed the body. Sonnen got another big double. Three minutes as he took the back. Baker stood to the standing back. Sonnen kneed the leg. Sonnen got a big suplex and turned to north-south. Two thirty-five. Baker was trying a reverse triangle but only had it on the body. Sonnen landed three rights. A big left hand landed there. Two fifteen. Baker had the reverse triangle on the neck now but it was useless. Another right hand landed. Two minutes. 'Lock your legs!' Another right hand landed. Sonnen escaped to the butterfly guard and landed a big left hand. Baker regained guard. One thirty-five. Baker's nose was bleeding. Another left hand landed. Another. 'Head control! There ya go!' Sonnen landed a right hand. One fifteen. Sonnen landed a left hand. One minute. Sonnen landed a big left and another. Another one. Sonnen landed a right hand. Thirty-five. A big left hand landed. Another big left and a right and another and another. A right landed. Fifteen. The first round ended. 10-9 Sonnen. The second round began. Sonnen shot a double. Baker was defending as best as he could. Sonnen kept working it and got it to half-guard. Baker regained guard. Four thirty-five. Sonnen landed a short right elbow. He's so active. Four fifteen as Sonnen landed a nice left hand. Another left. Four minutes. Three thirty-five. Sonnen landed a left elbow as he defended a triangle. Three fifteen. Sonnen landed another left elbow. Three minutes as Baker landed a right hammerfist from the bottom. Sonnen was defending another triangle attempt. Sonnen landed a right and a left and a big right hand. Two thirty-five. Two fifteen remaining. Sonnen flurried and landed a left and a big right. Two minutes. Baker worked another triangle but Sonnen defended easily. One thirty-five. Sonnen landed a partially blocked left elbow. Sonnen landed another left elbow. One fifteen. Another. One minute. Sonnen landed two left hands. He passed nicely to half-guard. Baker's cut somewhere. Thirty-five. Sonnen worked towards a kimura or an americana. Baker defended well. Baker was bleeding from his forehead. Fifteen. Sonnen landed three left hands and a left elbow as well. He landed a right hand. The second round ended. 10-9 Sonnen. The third round began. Sonnen landed a leg kick, caught a counter kick for a single to side control. He kneed the body. He was warned to watch the spine. He couldn't knee the spine. Four thirty-five as Sonnen got the crucifix trapping the arm. He landed six or seven short rights. Sonnen landed a pair of left elbows there. Four fifteen. Another short left elbow. Mir called Sonnen one of the best middleweight fighters in the world. Four minutes. Sonnen landed a left hand. Baker escaped the crucifix. Three thirty-five. Sonnen was almost in north-south. He landed a pair of left elbows. That cut was over Baker's left eye by the way. He went to north-south, Sonnen did. Three fifteen. That's not a bad cut over Baker's eye. It looks jagged and nasty. Three minutes. Sonnen went back to side control on the other side. Sonnen landed a right hand there. Two thirty-five. Sonnen was trying to set up a D'arce choke again. Baker gave up the back there and he was rolling towards a kneebar. Sonnen was defending well. Two fifteen as Sonnen kept the back position. Baker rolled again retaining guard. Two minutes. Sonnen landed a right, trying to work that cut there. Sonnen landed a big left hand. He was defending an armbar well. One thirty-five. Sonnen landed a left as he calmly defended. Sonnen escaped the attempt, it never even got close. Baker worked another. Sonnen passed nicely to side control. Baker regained guard with one fifteen. Baker blocked a right elbow there. One minute. Sonnen landed a right hand and a left. Another left. Baker worked for a triangle but Sonnen defended. Sonnen landed a massive left hand coming down. Thirty-five. Sonnen stood kicking the leg. He came down with a big left and a right and another. Fifteen. Sonnen was flurrying from half-guard. A big left landed. Sonnen stood out. He looked lazy. Baker stood as the third round ended and they shook hands. 30-27 Sonnen.